The singer-cum-music composer turns 37 today

Born on June 10, 1977, Mika Singh is undoubtedly one of the finest singers in Bollywood today and though many have criticized him coz of his nasal twang, Daler Mehndi’s younger brother has still managed to make his mark in the industry. Mika released his first album in the year 1998 and got noticed courtesy his foot-tapping number Saawan mein lag gayi aag. But it was only after 7 years that he entered Bollywood in 2006. Singh lent his voice for Rahul Bose and Mallika Sherawat starrer Pyaar Ke Side Effects. And though his song Dil tod ke na jaa wasn’t a huge success, the talented singer got rave reviews for his dumdaar voice. In the same year, he sang Dil main baji guitar for Apna Sapna Money Money and it became a chart buster in no time. Since then there has been no looking back for Mika aka Amrik Singh. Yes, that’s his real name. While this singer will continue to woo us with his hatke voice, on his birthday today, we list down 5 best songs of Mika Singh which always get us grooving…

Saawan mein lag gayi aag: Obviously this list would be incomplete if we didn’t mention this dhamakedaar song. It’s upbeat, peppy and will certainly compel you to put on your dancing shoes.

Ganpat: This gangster rap from Shootout At Lokhandwala became a instant hit and we all know why! Mika nailed this one to perfection, hai na?

Dhanno: We all remember Jacqueline Fernandez grooving to this catchy number. While the babe added the much needed oomph factor, it was Mika’s voice which made Dhanno popular amongst the youngsters.

Dhinka chika: Mika Singh crooning a pasia vasool number for Salman Khan. Well, It can’t get any better than this, right peeps?

Pyaar ki pungi: This is surely one of the craziest songs that Mika has sung in his career so far. Though Saif Ali Khan’s Agent Vinod failed at the box office, Pyaar ki pungi struck a chord with the masses.

Pyaar ki pungi can sound weirder – if you translate it into English!

Saif Ali Khan’s song Pyaar ki pungi in Agent Vinod is hilarious not only because of his weird dance steps, but also because of its lyrics. It has faced its share of controversies, especially with regards to its source of inspiration, but you cannot deny that the lyrics are laugh-out-loud worthy. The words, by Amitabh Bhattacharya, are cheeky, fun and totally over the top! The spy thriller is set in several countries other than India; and we wondered how viewers watching it there will make sense of this nonsensical song. We reimagined the song in English and found the hilarity doesn’t get lost much in translation. Take a look and tell us what you think!

The Pyaar ki pungi song has become the pick of the Agent Vinod music album, but Saif’s drunken dance reminded us of an ad for an innerwear brand starring the actor…

Song and dance in an espionage thriller can only be the stuff of Bollywood films and Sriram Raghavan’s Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor-starrer Agent Vinod is no exception. One song that has caught the fancy of almost everyone who listens to it – perhaps for its madness rather than its musicality – is Pyaar ki pungi, in which a drunk (or pretending to be?) Saif dances around making a fool of himself for the camera he knows is watching him, before he thrashes those who are spying on him in a hotel room.

The song, though touted as an item number with the super hot Malika Haydon getting up close and personal with Saif, is integral to the film, the makers insist. Saif seems to be having great fun dancing with gay (we mean that as a mood description, not a comment on sexuality) abandon and it did manage to make us laugh. What struck us after we watched a few times was that it was so familiar… it reminded us uncannily of a TV commercial which the Nawab shot some time ago but which still plays fairly regularly on some channels.

The advertisement was for an innerwear brand and has Saif fooling around on a racing track, having a ball, while the other runners are seen sweating as they aim for the finish line. Saif’s expressions in the ad and a few steps he plays out match his goofy act in ‘Pyaar ki pungi’. Take a look and tell us if you agree…

Following the trend of holding film premieres abroad, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor will be seen attending the film premiere of Agent Vinod outside India

It has become a norm for Bollywood films to be showcased for an international audience even before it is shown in India. It gets better if the film is premiered at a reputed film festival, just like Shahrukh Khan’s Don 2 opened at the Berlin Film Festival. Unfortunately for Saif and gang, there is no international film fest happening anytime soon, so they will have to make do with a premiere at Oman.

Agent Vinod is the Nawab’s most ambitious film till date and despite repeated delays in the release, he seems to be very confident with the final outcome. The recent brawl which Saif reportedly got in to also helped the film get some cheap publicity. The stakes are high and there is a lot riding on the film, for all those involved. More so, for director Sriram Raghavan, who has been religiously and single-mindedly working on this film for almost five years now.

The buzz around the film is great, especially after the second theatrical trailer hit the web. The songs, Dil mera muft ka and Pyaar ki pungi are rising high on the popularity charts and this will further help the film to get a good box office opening. While it cannot be said if Agent Vinod will get a record-opening like a SRK or Salman Khan film, but even if it does a fraction of it in the opening weekend, buzz is that the makers will not be in the danger zone. Do you think Agent Vinod will reach the Rs 100cr opening amount?

Birdies reveal that the song was originally created for Dharma Production’s upcoming movie, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and was supposed to be shot with Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. But that didn’t happen. Is Ranbir and Deepika’s chemistry, or the lack of it, to blame for this one? We’re not sure. All we can say is that Dharma’s loss is Saif’s gain. Now the song, with all its tapori elements intact, features Lisa Haydon’s sister Mallika, who grooves with Saif Ali Khan, who calls it his “first item number”. And guess what – we like it! What about you, Bollywoodlifers?

The swimsuit calendar babe is actually musically inclined and doesn’t believe in planning things. For her it is one day at a time

Though Malika Haydon can’t speak a word of Hindi (she abruptly disconnects calls where the caller speaks Hindi), she says that she is game for acting in Bollywood. Walking in casually at the Illuminati Films’ office wearing a gorgeous little black dress, the stunning model-turned-item-girl spoke of Saif Ali Khan, her sister Lisa and more…

Did you always have Bollywood on your mind?

No, I never really thought I would land up here. After finishing my studies, I was busy with my DJ gigs (she plays electronic and house music) and this offer came from the agency that manages my work. I spoke to my mother and my sister and they both told me to go ahead with it, so I did. It wasn’t a planned move; actually, I take things as they come.

Tell us about the item songs that you did in Agent Vinod…

My character in the film is that of a security personnel who is up against Saif Ali Khan, trying to trace his whereabouts. Thus I oppose Saif by chasing him in one of the songs – ‘Pyaar ki pungi’. The song actually takes the story forward. The first item song that that was released (‘I’ll do the talking’) is just a promotional number that will not be in the film.

What was the experience of working with Saif Ali Khan like?

He is very chilled out and, being the good actor that he is, he ensured that I felt comfortable, as it was my first stint in front of the camera. It helped that the songs were very much the kind I produce and I have been dancing to since I was a kid.

Are you not worried about your item songs being overshadowed by Kareena Kapoor’s ‘mujra’?

Not really; my item songs are another league altogether. While Kareena’s mujra number is very ‘desi’, mine is totally western, electronic, peppy and upbeat. The mujra might have mass appeal, but I am happy that my songs are in the zone that I am comfortable in. It is totally different from the Sheilas, Munnis and Razias that have been around for a while.

Is there sibling rivalry between you and your sister Lisa?

Absolutely not! Once we are back home, we don’t discuss work. Of course we’re there for each other whenever we need, but that’s about all. We are not running a race to be insecure about each other’s work. We are happy in our own space.

Have you started getting offers to do more item numbers?

For now I am not taking up any other project. Of course the agency will let me know about all the offers that come my way. If something really interests me and also matches my personality, I just might take it on. Films like Shaitan would be right up my alley! As of now I want to stick to my first love, music, till the right opportunity knocks on my door. I have not yet thought about venturing into mainstream Bollywood commercial music.

Have you watched any Hindi films recently?

Not really; I haven’t even watched any of Saif’s films. The only Hindi film I saw recently was Rascals, that too because my sister starred in it. I do watch a lot of Hollywood films, but haven’t really thought about working with any director in particular.